Our Month of Christmas

Our family enjoyed a month long celebration of Christmas this year. We bought our tree early so that we could enjoy it for several weeks. Grant had a fun time learning about tree decorating. He wanted to try putting all of the ornaments on but then would get frustrated and have me do it. He loved looking at and playing with each of the ornaments. I always enjoying pulling out our Christmas ornaments because I get to remember all of the fun places Chad and I have traveled over the last many years. I buy an ornament from each place we travel and have done so since just before we were married. I love to remember our fun vacations and adventures.

(Grant helping to decorate the Christmas tree)

On December 2, Chad and I took the boys to our wonderful zoo for Zoo Lights member night. The entire zoo is decorated in lights and they give out free hot chocolate and cookies. They also have "snow" (a.k.a. bubble foam) by the polar bears every 10 minutes or so. Grant loves the zoo and had a wonderful time looking at the lights and eating cookies.

(Lindsay, Grant and Cole at Zoo Lights)

Aunt Kitty, always thinking of her nephews, found adorable Christmas pajamas during her early morning day after Thanksgiving Christmas exploits with Autumn. Grant loves his Snowman jammies and Cole doesn't have a choice.

(Grant and Cole in their new Christmas pajamas)

Every year, the neighborhood here in Tucson, known as Winterhaven is decorated in Christmas lights and is blocked off each night for the town to walk through and view. They take canned food and money donations for the Food Bank. This is their 58th year doing this. Chad and I took our family and a few of Chad's fellow residences from the VA to enjoy the lights. Grant loved all of the lights, particularly the house that had a giant Bellagio style fountain timed to Christmas music and the giant candy canes. The house was one of the first we saw and Grant repeatedly asked to go see that house again. Chad has made some great friends during his residency and it was fun to enjoy this activity with them, as they are from out of town.

(Chad, Lindsay, Grant and Cole at Winterhaven lights)

(Grant bundled up for Winterhaven -- it was Tucson cold this night)

(One of the many decorated Winterhaven houses)

(Grant looking at one of the giant candy canes)

The Saturday before Christmas, the boys and I went to Phoenix for the day to see Brad, David and Shelli. Brad and I did a session at the temple and then brought the boys back to the temple to view the lights. Grant had a great time and I tried to explain the nativity scene to him. I think he's starting to get it.

(The Mesa temple lights)

(Brad and Grant at the Mesa Temple)

(Lindsay, Grant and Cole at the Mesa Temple lights)

This year was the first year that Chad and I had Christmas at our house with no extended family. My family is spending the holidays in Costa Rica, where my brother Brad recently returned from his mission. Chad's family is in Utah, except his sister, who is with her family in Michigan. This year Utah was too far to drive with a 3 month old and limited time off and too expensive to fly, having to purchase 3 airline tickets on a resident's salary (if you can call it that). We enjoyed a fondue dinner on Christmas Eve, in keeping with the Mellen family tradition. My family never really had a consistent Christmas Eve or Day dinner tradition. We love fondue and Grant had a great time helping out with it this year. He loved putting the tempura on the skewers and even ate two skewers himself. Chad and I, of course, ate way too much but loved every minute of it.

After dinner, we read a board book version of Luke 2 and then Twas the Night Before Christmas. Grant and I had made sugar cookies earlier on Christmas Eve for Santa. We got the cookies out and put them on a plate for Santa. Grant put the cookies and a glass of milk on the ottoman for Santa. We also let Grant open one present before bed. He opened up some books from Granda Mellen, which we read a few times. After that it was bedtime for Grant abd present wrapping time for mommy. I finished wrapping presents and got everything ready for Christmas morning.

(Two skewers frying up)

(Lindsay's fondue skewers ready to go)

(Cole chilling out during fondue dinner)

(Grant putting tempura on the skewers)

(The fondue spread)

(Chad and Grant waiting for fondue)

(Lindsay and Cole)

(Santa's cookies and milk -- notice the missing stocking toe. Guess who ate that?)

Chad and I got up at 6:30 AM to put the presents under the tree and fill the stockings. We had the presents on top of our armoir to protect them from dogs and Grant. Grant, in his usual way, woke up just before 7 AM. We headed downstairs to see what Santa brought. We then moved on to the numerous gifts under the tree. Grant's first choice of presents to open was the "big one," the big present from Oma, containing a backpack and many more presents in the backpack. He had a fun time opening the big package. He also loved the fun Big Bug Book from Grandma Mellen. His favorite, however, was his Thomas the train set from mommy and daddy. He played with the train set all day Christmas day. We enjoyed an aebleskiver breakfast and a yummy turkey dinner. Overall, we relaxed all day long and enjoyed our quiet Christmas with our little family.

(Chad with his Aqua Globes from my mom)

(Cole with his new outfits from Oma)

(Cole and Grant playing trains)

(Grant with his gifts from Santa - a Thomas backpack, Lightning McQueen and Doc)

(Lindsay on Christmas morning - the only photo taken of her the whole day)

(Our Christmas tree)

(Our stockings hung on the bookcase with care)

(Grant's pile of presents)

Today, we went to a matinee showing of Madagascar 2. Grant loved it. He loves to get a big bag of popcorn and he eats it one piece at a time during the entire show. While Chad and I help him with the bag he eats quite a bit and doesn't stop putting it in one at a time until it's all gone. It has been raining all day. The rain may spoil our plan for tomorrow to go to the butterfly exhibit at the Botanical Gardens. I hope we can go next week if not tomorrow.